Northern Ireland: North/South Implementation Bodies

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 21 December 2004 (WA 135), what additional benefits have occurred to cross-border co-operation as a result of the setting up of the cross-border bodies outlined in the Belfast agreement.

Baroness Amos: I have nothing further to add to my Answer given on 21 December 2004 (Official Report, col. WA 135).

Northern Ireland: North/South Implementation Bodies

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the budgets for the cross-border bodies for 2005 taking the two sections of the Language Body as separate; and what percentage increase this represents over the 2004 budgets.

Baroness Amos: The table below provides details of the budgets for the North/South implementation bodies for 2005 and the percentage increases over the 2004 budgets. The figures quoted in the table for the agencies of the Language Body are based on draft business plans provided by the agencies, as the 2005 budget figures for the Language Body have not yet been agreed.
	
		
			 North/South body implementation 2005 Budget£ million Percentageincreaseon 2004 
			 Language Body 1.769* 3.81* 
			 –Ulster-Scots 12.968* 0.53* 
			 –Foras Na Gaeilge   
			 InterTradeIreland 9.27 3.00 
			 Special EU Programmes Body 2.195 8.66 
			 Foyle, Carlingford and Irish LightsCommission 3.67 14.69 
			 Waterways Ireland 34.16 7.76 
			 Food Safety 6.16 1.32 
		
	
	* The 2005 budget figures for the Agencies of the Language Body have not yet been agreed.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 11 January (WA 29) concerning staff bullying at Waterways Ireland, what grades are the individuals concerned; and whether they are still employed by Waterways Ireland.

Baroness Amos: The single complainant was seconded to Waterways Ireland at the time and he has since returned to his parent department.
	The 20 staff who have collectively alleged that bullying and harassment exists in Waterways Ireland are all still employed by Waterways Ireland. The individuals concerned are employed in a number of different grades within the organisation.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 11 January (WA 28) concerning applications for posts in Waterways Ireland, how many people were interviewed for each post; and under what country's employment legislation the recruitment procedure was carried out.

Baroness Amos: The number of applicants interviewed for each post were as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 CEO 6 
			 Director of Operations: 10 
			 Director of Finance/Personnel: 7 
			 Director of Technical Services: 6 
			 Director of Corporate Services: 13 
		
	
	The recruitment procedure was carried out under UK employment legislation.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether those civil servants who had been seconded to Waterways Ireland before March 2002 have had their secondments terminated by 31 March 2002 as proposed in the Inland Waterways sector meeting minutes of 23 November 2001.

Baroness Amos: Due to the large number of applications received for permanent posts within Waterways Ireland, it was necessary to retain a number of seconded staff beyond the proposed termination date to allow the business of Waterways Ireland to continue while the recruitment process took place. In total, 13 civil servants remained on secondment for periods within 2002, one continued into 2003 and one into 2004.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many applications were received by Waterways Ireland as a result of advertising 47 administrative posts at the end of November 2001.

Baroness Amos: Some 1,452 applications were received by Waterways Ireland as a result of advertising 47 administrative posts at the end of November 2001.

Northern Ireland Civil Service

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the 10 years ending on 31 December 2003, how many Northern Ireland Civil Service employees have been found guilty of (a) intentional harassment; (b) harassment without malicious intent; and (c) harassment with no deliberate intent; and how many were employees of the Northern Ireland Department of Education.

Baroness Amos: No member of the Northern Ireland Civil Service has been found guilty of (a) intentional harassment; (b) harassment without malicious intent; or (c) harassment with no deliberate intent. This is in accordance with guidance issued by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, which makes clear that when dealing with complaints of harassment it is the impact of the behaviour which is relevant and not the motive or intent behind it.

Prime Minister: Sinn Fein Meetings

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 25 January (WA 147), whether they will specify the individual meetings which have taken place between the Prime Minister and Sinn Fein representatives since 1 September 2004; where those meetings took place; on what dates; and which members of the republican movement were present.

Baroness Amos: I refer the noble Lord to my Answer of 31 January (Official Report, col. WA 3)

Zimbabwe: Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Lord McColl of Dulwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to ensure that the needs of orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe are being met.

Baroness Amos: The plight of orphans in Zimbabwe is tragic. More than 1.3 million children have already been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS. Within five years, over 20 per cent of Zimbabwe's children will have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. The Department for International Development is already responding to this challenge in Zimbabwe.
	In 2003–04, DfID funded non-governmental organisations to implement feeding programmes at schools and clinics which reached over one million children, many of whom were highly vulnerable or within families affected by HIV/AIDS.
	In 2005, DfID is working with UNICEF and other donors to design a programme of international support for Zimbabwe's National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children. DfID support will amount to £25 million over the next five years, including £2 million already approved for community-based activities that directly assist children in need. Activities will include increasing school enrolment of orphans and vulnerable children, as well as their access to healthcare, food and clean water.
	DfID Zimbabwe continues to work closely with the United Nations and other partners to ensure that our assistance remains apolitical and provided on the basis of need.

Blasphemy

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to abolish the offence of blasphemy.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government acknowledge that there are a wide variety of views on whether the blasphemy laws should be retained, repealed or extended. We have no immediate plans to amend these laws but will keep the issue under review, particularly as the benefits of the new provision against incitement to religious hatred are realised.

Anti-binge Drinking Advertisements

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to assess the effectiveness of the current round of anti-binge drinking advertisements.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Home Office is supporting work by police and trading standards, but is not currently running any advertisements on anti-binge drinking.

Licensing Act 2003: Enforcement Costs

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What extra funding they will make available to police forces in 2004–05 to cover any additional work arising from the Licensing Act 2003.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Association of Chief Police Officers has made representations to us about this and we have promised to look into their concerns. We want to work together to ensure that the new legislation impacts properly.
	The licensing fees will, for the first time, fund enforcement of licensing conditions by local authorities. We estimate that a minimum of 60 per cent of the premises annual charge will go to enforcement—about £30 million. In contrast, the existing licensing system does not provide any resources for enforcement. Furthermore, through streamlining the administrative licensing process, the Licensing Act 2003 should save the police up to £15 million annually.
	Fees are not meant to pay for the policing of the night-time economy, for example dealing with street drinkers and anti-social behaviour. That is why we have been developing separate policy proposals for tackling alcohol-related crime and disorder which we outlined in our consultation document Drinking Responsibly: The Government's Proposals on 21 January.

Metropolitan Police: Reports of Violence Against the Person

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many calls made to the Metropolitan Police between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. in each month of 2003 and 2004 respectively were classified as "violence against the person" in the divisions of Barnet, Wimbledon (Merton), Croydon, West End Central and Charing Cross respectively.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The requested information has been supplied by the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis and is given in the table:
	
		Violence against the person calls between 01.00 and 04.00 in selected London Boroughs/Division
		
			  Borough/Division 
			 Month Barnet Merton Croydon West End Central Charing Cross 
			 Jan-03 38 25 76 58 48 
			 Feb-03 22 14 71 66 42 
			 Mar-03 46 16 82 57 31 
			 Apr-03 40 34 68 45 31 
			 May-03 53 13 104 56 38 
			 Jun-03 45 29 74 53 37 
			 Jul-03 65 32 98 69 38 
			 Aug-03 55 31 89 60 43 
			 Sep-03 54 24 72 62 36 
			 Oct-03 47 19 70 60 24 
			 Nov-03 54 19 84 74 47 
			 Dec-03 63 23 76 98 36 
			 Jan-04 50 30 79 70 33 
			 Feb-04 62 14 72 91 46 
			 Mar-04 48 19 70 46 32 
			 Apr-04 45 20 67 75 33 
			 May-04 63 27 94 83 44 
			 Jun-04 51 18 76 58 36 
			 Jul-04 35 18 89 73 58 
			 Aug-04 64 25 100 80 60 
			 Sep-04 37 14 62 59 38 
			 Oct-04 36 26 81 80 34 
			 Nov-04 54 26 56 72 39 
			 Dec-04 59 22 66 80 34

Offenders Convicted of Murder: Compassionate Release

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many convicted murderers were allowed out of prison on compassionate grounds in the past two years; and in each instance what is:
	(a) the name of the individual;
	(b) the length of time out of prison;
	(c) the reason why compassionate leave was granted; and
	(d) the places visited or stayed at by the individual whilst out of prison.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Between 1 December 2002 and 30 November 2004, 1,273 licences were granted on compassionate grounds for offenders serving sentences for murder. We do not comment on individual cases, so it is not possible to provide the offender-specific information requested. However, the following table provides a breakdown of the main purposes for which compassionate release was granted. The statistics are based on information recorded on the central Prison Service IT system.
	
		
			  
			 Total licences granted 1,273 
			 Carer (e.g. sole carers to visit children) 98 
			 Deaths (e.g. attending funerals) 43 
			 Domestic circumstances (e.g. tragic personal   circumstances) 17 
			 Medical (e.g. Hospital appointments) 1,018 
			 Religious Service (e.g. Marriage) 97

Drink Driving

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many convicted drink-drivers were under the age of 18 in each of the past five years.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Information for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, from 1998 to 2002 (latest available) is given in Tables A, B and C respectively.
	
		Table A. Total finding of guilt for offenders aged under 18 at all courts for offences of driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs, England and Wales, 1998 to 2002
		
			 Offence type 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
			 Unfit to drive drive through drink or drugs (impairment) [RTA88,s4(1)] 35 46 60 58 66 
			 Driving with alcohol in the blood above the prescribed limit [RTA88,s5(1)(a)] 1,386 1,459 1,491 1,652 1,630 
			 Driving and failing to provide specimen for analysis (breath, blood or urine) [RTA88,s7(6)] 112 112 131 141 152 
			 In charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs (impairment) [RTA88,s4(2)] 6 6 7 12 12 
			 In charge of motor vehicle with alcohol in the blood above the prescribed limit [RTA88,s5(1)(b)] 27 38 30 38 38 
			 In charge of motor vehicle and failing to provide specimen for analysis (breath, blood or urine) [RTA88,s7(6)] 5 12 9 11 14 
			 Failing to provide specimen for initial breath test [RTA88,s6(4)] 18 16 13 12 17 
			 Total 1,589 1,689 1,741 1,924 1,929 
		
	
	
		Table B. Drink driving offences with a charge proved for offenders aged under 18, Scotland, 1998 to 2002.
		
			 Year Numbers 
			 1998 180 
			 1999 184 
			 2000 163 
			 2001 166 
			 2002 221 
			 Total 914 
		
	
	
		Table C. Number of persons aged under 18 convicted of drink driving offences in Northern Ireland Courts: 1998 to 2002
		
			 Offence 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
			 Driving when unfit through drink ordrugs 5 8 3 1 2 
			 Driving with excess alcohol 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Driving with excess alcohol in breath 11 5 12 11 10 
			 Driving with excess alcohol in blood 2 3 2 1 2 
			 Driving with excess alcohol in urine 0 0 0 0 1 
			 In charge when unfit through drink ordrugs 0 0 1 0 0 
			 In charge with excess alcohol in breath 0 0 1 0 1 
			 In charge with excess alcohol in blood 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Failing to provide specimen of breath forpreliminary test 1 2 2 0 1 
			 Failing to provide specimen when drivingunfit 0 1 2 0 1 
			 Failing to provide specimen when drivingwith excess alcohol 0 0 0 2 1 
			 Total persons aged under 18 convicted 19 20 23 15 20

Internet Service Providers: Co-operation with Law Enforcement Agencies

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether existing regulations of United Kingdom-based units of large global internet service providers may be contributing to the perpetuation of cyber crime and hampering effective co-operation with law enforcement agencies.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: I understand that this issue arose during presentations given at the Computer and Internet Crime Conference in London in January, and these comments were subsequently reported in the media.
	The time taken to recover material of evidential value from the UK based units of multinational internet service providers does vary on a case-by-case basis. While there is a positive attitude towards investigative co-operation from all companies with bases in the UK, where information is required from companies with headquarters outside the UK, as with any request for mutual legal assistance the provision of information may take longer than a domestic request.

United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the benefits to the United Kingdom of membership of the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the status of refugees.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We are proud of the UK's record in providing a safe haven for refugees, many of whom are fleeing in fear of their lives from the most desperate human cruelty and we remain committed to the 1951 convention relating to the status of refugees.
	The Government strongly believe in engaging with other states to address refugee and asylum issues. Membership of the UN Convention is vital to this objective. Membership also allows us to participate in UN led initiatives such as "Convention Plus" that build on the principles of the convention by addressing the challenges posed by refugee situations today.

Faith Communities: Grants for Social or Welfare Projects

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which organisations within each of the main religious faiths have received government grants for social or welfare projects in the current financial year and in the previous two financial years.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government recognise the important contribution made to society by faith communities and have recently announced a £3 million funding programme to support them. The Government are also acting on the recommendations of the Working Together report on improving government's engagement and co-operation with faith communities.
	The Government do not routinely hold records about the religious affiliation of organisations to which they have given grants for social and welfare projects. To obtain this information would result in a disproportionate cost.

Criminal Proceedings: Use of Intercept Material

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the practical difference between permitting the use in criminal trials of intercept material and permitting the use of material obtained by other forms of police and intelligence surveillance.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Surveillance does not involve the same sorts of sensitive capabilities and techniques as interception. Exposure of capability in the case of interception is potentially much more damaging because targets can more easily avoid interception by changing the way in which they choose to communicate.

Criminal Proceedings: Use of Intercept Material

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Statement by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 26 January (WS 52), whether the review of the evidential use of intercept material in criminal proceedings analysed the law and practice in other common law and civil law jurisdictions; and, if so, what were the results of that analysis in relation to each jurisdiction that was reviewed.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Legal regimes in a range of overseas countries were considered. The review found that the United Kingdom could not simply transplant the evidential regimes of other countries because our legal system is very different, being both adversarial and subject to ECHR considerations. No other country examined had a statutory basis for intelligence agencies to assist law enforcement agencies as is the case in the United Kingdom. The review underlined the importance and value of the unparalleled co-operation between the United Kingdom's intelligence and law enforcement agencies but noted that this would be at risk, in a way that did not apply to the same extent to overseas jurisdictions, if there was a possibility that sensitive capabilities and techniques might be exposed.

Anti-terrorism: Warrants to Search Premises

Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many houses have been raided by police on anti-terrorism warrants since 11 September 2001.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The information requested is not held centrally. Warrants to search premises as part of criminal or anti-terrorist operations and investigations are applied for by, and issued to, individual police forces.

Iraq: Security Measures for UK Forces

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What specific steps they propose to take to reduce the danger to United Kingdom forces in Iraq in the period either side of the Iraqi election in January.

Lord Bach: We continuously review the security measures for our troops in Iraq, in order to be able to minimise the risk to our forces. However, I cannot comment on these measures for reasons of operational security.

Iraq: UK Force Levels

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the planned level of troops in Iraq on 30 June and 31 December 2005.

Lord Bach: United Kingdom force levels are constantly under review. Planned levels on 30 June and 31 December 2005 will be determined by the prevailing security conditions and the capacity of the Iraqi Security Forces to take responsibility for the security of Iraq.

Pensions Appeal Tribunal for England and Wales

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the criticisms made by the President of the Pensions Appeal Tribunal for England and Wales of the way in which examples of alleged abuse of the war pensions scheme were used by the Government during proceedings in the House of Lords on the Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Bill on 2 November 2004.

Lord Bach: There was no intended criticism of the Pensions Appeal Tribunal which is a fully independent part of the decision-making process for the war pensions scheme. Nor were the examples given meant to be seen as cases of abuse of the war pensions scheme. As I made clear to the House, there is no dispute that the claimants were suffering from a medical condition, nor is the department questioning the entitlement which they enjoy under the war pensions scheme. My point was to illustrate the types of cases where the connection between an individual's service and their illness or death might be tenuous but could result in an award under the scheme because of its particular test of proof. I proposed that, for the future, entitlement should not be justifiable in such cases in an up-to-date scheme and that the money available should be more effectively focused on the more severely disabled due to service who are poorly provided for under existing arrangements. I remain of this view which in no way casts doubt on the hard work or the judgment of the President of the Pensions Appeal Tribunal for England and Wales or his tribunal colleagues, who are applying the war pensions scheme.

Pensions Appeal Tribunal for England and Wales

Baroness Park of Monmouth: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What contact the Ministry of Defence had with the president of the Pensions Appeal Tribunals or his office about the alleged cases of abuse of the war pensions scheme before they were cited by the Government during the proceedings in the House of Lords on the Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Bill on 2 November 2004.

Lord Bach: The examples quoted on 2 November 2004 were chosen to show the sort of decisions that could arise under the rules of the war pensions scheme which the Government consider are not appropriate to a modern compensation scheme. There was no criticism of the appeal decisions taken by the pensions appeal tribunals on the basis of these rules and therefore no reason to contact the presidents of the pensions appeal tribunals or their offices.

Welsh Regiments

Lord Crickhowell: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why the representations made to the Director of Infantry and the Chief of the General Staff by Major General Brian Plummer on behalf of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, the Royal Regiment of Wales and the Royal Welsh Regiment, and by the Lord Morris of Aberavon, the Viscount Tenby and the Lord Crickhowell to the Secretary of State for Defence about battalion titles and other matters arising from Army reorganisation were not accepted, while similar representations on behalf of the Scottish regiments were accepted; and why the Chief of the General Staff informed the House of Commons Select Committee on Defence on 12 January that no requests about names had been made by any division of infantry, other than by the Scots division.

Lord Bach: The process of re-structuring the infantry has been worked through by the Army, consulting with the divisions and regiments concerned. Colonels of individual regiments have been directly involved via the colonels commandants of the divisions of infantry. Proposals were submitted to the Executive Committee of the Army Board (ECAB) on a divisional basis by the relevant colonel commandant.
	In making this decision ECAB took advice from the colonel commandant of the Prince of Wales's Division as the representative of the regiments concerned and concluded that in line with that recommendation, the new regiment should be called The Royal Welsh and that its two battalions should be called 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh (The Royal Welch Fusiliers) and 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh (The Royal Regiment of Wales).
	With regards to the approach adopted for the Scottish division, in light of our intent to create genuinely large regiments and maximise the benefits thereof in the post arms plot era, ECAB carefully considered whether there were specific circumstances that were unique to the division. The conclusion reached was that the bold move direct to the largest single cap badge (and single tartan) regiment of five battalions warranted the retention of the antecedent names foremost. It was also felt that given the very different nature and large geographical spread of the existing regiments from Scotland, this would help maintain the best possible recruitment in light of such radical change.
	It remains the case, notwithstanding the representations referred to by the noble Lord, that the Scottish division was the only one to propose placing the antecedent names foremost during the consultation and decision making process, which informed ECAB's recommendation to the Secretary of State and his subsequent announcement on 16 December. The remarks by the Chief of the General Staff to the Defence Select Committee of the other place on 12 January merely reflect that.

Welsh Regiments

Lord Crickhowell: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the views expressed by the Lord Morris of Aberavon, the Viscount Tenby and the Lord Crickhowell to the Secretary of State for Defence about the battalion titles of the Welsh Regiments, the maintenance of their heritage and the location of regimental headquarters were conveyed to the Chief of the General Staff and the Army Board; and, if so, on what date.

Lord Bach: A record of the exchange of views with my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence referred to by the noble Lord that took place on 6 December 2004 was conveyed to the Chief of the General Staff's office the following day. I understand that he himself read it on 8 December.
	In formulating advice to the Secretary of State on the future structure of the infantry, the Executive Committee of the Army Board (ECAB)—chaired by the Chief of the General Staff—initiated an exhaustive consultation process within the infantry and took very careful account of the views of each division of infantry, as expressed by its colonel commandant, on how the restructuring should be implemented. ECAB had in mind at all times the importance of maintaining so far as possible historic linkages and traditions.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Purchase of Ships

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In relation to the recently renegotiated contract for the purchase of two Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships from Swan Hunter:
	(a) what were the total prices in the original and renegotiated contracts;
	(b) what were the original and renegotiated stage payments;
	(c) to what extent have cost over-runs been the fault of the Ministry of Defence; and
	(d) to what extent the contract renegotiations were influenced by the financial position of Swan Hunter.

Lord Bach: The original contract with Swan Hunter for design and build of two LSD(A)s was valued at £148 million. This has since been increased to £232 million, with a further £3 million added to cover enhancements that have included aspects to ensure the vessels comply with the latest statutory safety requirements.
	Contractual stage payments agreed by the Ministry of Defence and the contractor are commercially sensitive and I am withholding this information under Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
	None of the cost over-runs covered by the recent contract amendment is attributable to fault by the MoD.
	The contract amendment negotiations were conducted solely to ensure the best value for money for the taxpayer was achieved in the delivery of this important new capability.

Sustainable Communities Plan

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How any additional:
	(a) doctors;
	(b) nurses;
	(c) general practitioners;
	(d) dentists;
	(e) police; and
	(f) teachers
	will be required as a result of the communities plan and the expansion of settlements as identified in the document.

Lord Rooker: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's policy for sustainable communities as set out in the communities plan, and more recently in our five year strategy Homes for All, is to concentrate additional housing growth in identified growth areas. We are working with other government departments, including the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills, to ensure that growth of communities is accompanied by the necessary infrastructure. Provision has been made across government to ensure that communities undergoing rapid population growth receive adequate funding. This includes £20 million per annum from 2004–05 to 2005–06 for primary care trusts in the growth areas and a new safety valve mechanism for education funding.

Local Authority Consultative Referendums: Use of Electoral Register

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether United Kingdom local authorities (other than parishes), who wish to conduct consultative referendums among their electorate, can use the full electoral register.

Lord Rooker: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been advised that the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 prevent local authorities using the full electoral register for the purpose of conducting a local referendum. However, while local authorities have the right to decide who is polled, we recognise the importance of local authorities being able to conduct such referendums on a full franchise, and we are considering how to achieve this while maintaining security of information on the full electoral register.

Works Councils

Lord Wedderburn of Charlton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will encourage the 162 multinational companies based in the United Kingdom which have not established works councils or similar machinery for informing and consulting their employees and trade unions to establish such machinery; and, if necessary, whether they will amend the legal obligations relating to such matters.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The figure the noble Lord is referring to relates to European works councils. It does not mean that there is no other form of employee representation in the companies concerned. Moreover, new legislation implementing the EU directive on Information and Consultation will come into force on 6 April. This will give employees important new rights to be informed and consulted about significant developments in their workplace.

Rural Payments Agency

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the total cost of the Rural Payments Agency for each of the past three years; and what is the budget for the cost of the agency over each of the next three years.

Lord Whitty: The Rural Payments Agency's (RPA) gross expenditure, which mainly relates to the common agricultural policy (CAP) scheme payments, is as shown in the table below:
	
		
			  2001–02 £ billion 2002–03 £ billion 2003–04 £ billion 2004–05 £ billion 2005–06 £ billion 2006–07 £ billion 
			 Grossexpenditure 2.8 3.1 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.5 
		
	
	RPA is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and was formed on 16 October 2001 as the paying agency responsible for administering CAP schemes in England and certain other schemes throughout the UK.
	The detail supporting financial year 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04 can be found in RPA's accounts under House of Commons publication numbers HC 1197, HC 940 and HC 1009 respectively.
	Figures for future years reflect the position shown in the 2004 Pre-Budget Report (CM 6408) published on 2 December 2004, particularly the annually managed expenditure reflected in table 16 of the report.

Sea Defences

Lord Fearn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which areas of England have introduced sea defences to their coastlines in the past 10 years.

Lord Whitty: Defra has overall policy responsibility for flood and coastal erosion risk in England. The department funds most of the Environment Agency's activities in this area and provides grant aid on a project by project basis to the other flood and coastal defence operating authorities (local authorities and internal drainage boards) to support their investment in improvement works.
	The Environment Agency is the principal authority responsible for managing sea defences in England, although some local authorities are also active in managing the risk from sea flooding and coastal erosion.
	Most investment in projects to reduce risk of coastal erosion or flooding from the sea is to improve the protection offered by existing defences, most of which will have been in place for many years, with periodic improvement through major works in addition to regular maintenance.
	The department is aware of the following coastal defences (to manage risk of flooding and/or erosion) which could be considered to be "new" rather than being improvements of existing defences:
	
		
			 Operating Authority Project 
			 Barrow Borough Council Bent Haw, Walney IslandEmergency Works 
			 Barrow Borough Council Marsh Street, Askam-In-Furness 
			 Caradon District Council Cawsand—Coastguard Cottages 
			 Carrick District Council Veryan—The Nare Hotel 
			 Christchurch Borough Council Mudeford Quay—Reconstruction 
			 Copeland Borough Council Parton Coastal Defences 
			 East Devon District Council Seaton Hole To Seaton—RockRevetment 
			 East Devon Distract Council Seaton West (Check House) SeaWall 
			 East Ridind of Yorkshire Easington Beach Management 
			 Environment Agency, South West Appledore Tidal Defence Scheme 
			 Environment Agency, South West Bideford Tidal Defences 
			 Environment Agency, South West Braunton Tidal Defence Scheme 
			 Environment Agency, South West Hamworthy Sea Defences 
			 Environment Agency, South West Lympstone Tidal Defence Scheme 
			 Environment Agency, South West Muddlebridge Tidal DefenceScheme 
			 Environment Agency, South West Poole Sea Defences—Phase 2—   Town Quay West 
			 Environment Agency. South West Preston Sea Wall—Weymouth 
			 Environment Agency, South West Weymouth Harbour TidalDefences 
			 Environment Agency, South West Brean 
			 Environment Agency, South West Minehead 
			 Environment Agency, South West West Bay Sea Defences 
			 Environment Agency, South West Sladesbridge Flood DefenceScheme 
			 Isle of Wight Council Castle Cove, Ventnor 
			 Isle of Wight Council Castle Haven, Niton CoastProtection Scheme 
			 Kerrier District Council Cadgwith—The Todden 
			 North Cornwall District Council Trevone (West) Coast Protection 
			 North Devon District Council Barnstaple Heanton CourtEmergency Works 
			 Poole Borough Council Canford Cliffs Coast Protection 
			 Poole Borough Council Evening Hill Coast Protection—   Poole—Dorset 
			 Poole Borough Council Sandbanks Coast Protection 
			 Poole Borough Council Sandbanks—Phase 2 
			 Purbeck District Council Kimmeridge Bay Sea Wall 
			 Redcar and Cleveland Council Cowbar Coastal Defences. 
			 Teignbridge District Council Teignmouth—Emergency Works—   Point Car Park 
			 Wansbeck District Council Alcan Power Station, Lynemouth 
			 Weymouth and Portland BoroughCouncil Newtons Cove Coast Protection 
			 West Dorset District Council Seatown Coast Protection 
			 West Somerset District Council Helwell Bay—Doniford

Indigenous Food: Self-sufficiency

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the United Kingdom self-sufficiency figures in indigenous food for the years 1994 to 2004 inclusive.

Lord Whitty: The table below shows the level of United Kingdom self-sufficiency in indigenous food for 1994 to 2004.
	
		UK self-sufficiency in indigenous foods
		
			 Year Level 
			 1994 86.2 
			 1995 86.8 
			 1996 83.3 
			 1997 81.7 
			 1998 81.9 
			 1999 81.6 
			 2000 80.3 
			 2001 75.3 
			 2002 75.6 
			 2003 76.9 
			 2004 74.2 
		
	
	Self-sufficiency is calculated as the value of production of raw food divided by the value of raw food for human consumption.

West Coast Main Line

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the total cost of services provided by Bechtel in connection with the West Coast Main Line route modernisation.

Lord Davies of Oldham: This is a matter of private contract between Network Rail and Bechtel.

West Coast Main Line

Lord Inglewood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the rail service available to passengers on the West Coast Main Line at weekends is satisfactory; and whether they consider the journey times to the railhead by bus from temporarily-closed stations to be acceptable.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Extensive work continues to be carried out on the West Coast Main Line as part of the route modernisation project. This requires parts of the line to be closed for periods and to be replaced temporarily by road transport. Every attempt is made by the train operators to avoid periods of peak demand and to minimise the inconvenience to passengers of replacement bus services but it is inevitable that journey times will be extended when these are in operation.

Stonehenge Improvement Scheme

Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the report of the public inquiry into the A303 Stonehenge improvement scheme was delivered by the inspector to the Secretary of State by the target date of September 2004; whether and when the report will be published; and when the Secretary of State will respond to the report and indicate future plans for the improvement scheme.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The inspector's report was received on 31 January 2005. There was no target set for receipt of the inspector's report following the close of an inquiry. Under a service level agreement, the Planning Inspectorate gives the inspector three working days for each sitting day of the inquiry to write his report, plus an additional 20 days for administration purposes. But it is accepted that this process can take longer on exceptional schemes, such as this, because of the complexity of the submissions and representations made to the inspector at the inquiry.
	A decision will be announced by the First Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Transport jointly as soon as possible after careful consideration of the inspector's report. The report will be published with their decision.